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Objective: Three thalamic nuclei--the mediodorsal nucleus, pulvinar, and centromedian nucleus--each have unique reciprocal circuitry with cortical and sub-cortical areas known to be affected in schizophrenia. To determine if the disorder is also associated with dysfunction in the mediodorsal nucleus, pulvinar, and centromedian nucleus, relative glucose metabolism in these regions was measured in a large group of unmedicated patients with schizophrenia. Method: [[sup.18]F]-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) and matching [T.sub.1]-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were obtained for 41 unmedicated patients with schizophrenia and 60 age-and sex-matched healthy subjects. The PET and MRI images for each subject were coregistered, and the whole thalamus, mediodorsal nucleus, pulvinar, and centromedian nucleus were traced on the MRI image. Relative glucose metabolism in these regions was assessed. Results: Patients with schizophrenia showed significantly lower relative glucose metabolism in the mediodorsal nucleus and the centromedian nucleus and significantly higher relative glucose metabolism in the pulvinar, compared with the healthy subjects. Lower relative glucose metabolism in the total thalamus, mediodorsal nucleus, and pulvinar was associated with greater overall clinical symptoms as measured by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Lower relative glucose metabolism in the pulvinar was associated with more hallucinations and more positive symptoms, while lower relative glucose metabolism in the mediodorsal nucleus was associated with more negative symptoms. Conclusions: The findings suggest that patients with schizophrenia exhibit dysfunction in thalamic subdivisions with distinct cortical connections and that these thalamic subdivisions have specific associations with clinical symptoms.

The article presents views of actor Rachel Bloom on actress Carol Burnett. It mentions that Bloom has read Carol's memoir "One More Time" and Burnett has put together her own musical showcase with women in her boarding house and got discovered singing the original song "I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles." It also mentions about actress Wanda Sykes who was a writer on "The Chris Rock Show."

Older adults with type 2 diabetes are at high risk of cognitive decline and dementia and form an important target group for dementia risk reduction studies. Despite evidence that computerized cognitive training (CCT) may benefit cognitive performance in cognitively healthy older adults and those with mild cognitive impairment, whether CCT may benefit cognitive performance or improve disease self-management in older diabetic adults has not been studied to date. In addition, whether adaptive difficulty levels and tailoring of interventions to individuals' cognitive profile are superior to generic training remains to be established.

The article discusses that the policies pursued by the U.S. President George W. Bush have impacted his popularity graph. An increasing number of Republican lawmakers are gradually distancing themselves from him.

The Congressional Democratic majority maintained a record number of roll calls through 2007, the aim being to vote often and score partisan political points.

The author, a comedian, presents a humorous prediction for 2019.

The purpose of the current study was to examine neuropsychological functioning in a group of never-medicated first-break adolescents with psychosis. It is the first report of cognition in a sample of adolescents with psychosis in which all patients were drug-naive. Twenty-nine adolescent patients (mean age 16.07; SD 2.00; 15 male and 14 female patients) experiencing their first psychotic episode and 17 age-matched and sex-matched normal volunteers (mean age 16.88; SD 2.39; 9 male and 8 female subjects) were recruited and assessed with a neuropsychological battery. Measures of attention, memory, language, executive functioning, perceptual motor processing, and motor speed were obtained. Psychiatric symptomatology, estimated verbal IQ, and parental socioeconomic status were also determined. Patients with psychosis were significantly more impaired than normal volunteers; effect sizes were greatest in the areas of executive functioning, attention, and memory, and significantly smaller in areas of language, perceptual motor processing, and motor speed. The pattern was not altered when differences in verbal IQ and parental socioeconomic status were controlled. Sex and age interactions indicated that younger male patients were particularly impaired. The findings demonstrate neuropsychological deficits in adolescents with psychosis and suggest that cognitive deficits are core symptoms in psychotic disorders.

The article reports on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend star and co-creator Rachel Bloom shares her history with Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in an excerpt from I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are, out November 17.

The article reports on the importance of television (TV) musicals focusing on several of them including "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend," "The Sexy Getting Ready Song," and "Settle for Me."

The article discusses the benefits of cross-age math activities to both students and student tutors. It cites the effective cross-grade math ideas which include the use of dice and cards to represent numbers, the support of older students with younger ones on math websites and the creation of relevant number sense games. It also mentions the capability of cross-age tutoring in encouraging a community of caring and responsibility.

This review examines the trend toward greater rates of myopia, as well as possible reasons for this increased rate. It broaches some questions about how these increased rates will affect our society, as well as our practice of ophthalmology.

The poem "Etiquette" by Rachel Squires Bloom is presented. First Line: My silvery nightgown, silky Last Line: to tomorrow.

The poem "Mannequins" by Rachel Squires Bloom is presented. First Line: Admit it: they're sexy: Last Line: anything but clear.

The poem "Cindy's Blush" by Rachel Squires Bloom is presented. First Line: First I pocket the elephant, tiny; Last Line: with hiding, with health.

The poem "Getting Ready" by Rachel Squires Bloom is presented. First Line: Part morbid but more curious; Last Line: that she no longer has any say at all.

The poem "Christmas Day Ferry" by Rachel Squires Bloom is presented. First Line: In steady chill-charged rain; Last Line: in my pocket.

The article reports on the frequency of roll call votes in the U.S. Congress in 2009. Lawmakers are summoned for four quorum calls and 987 yea-or-nay votes which represents a 43 percent increase above the total for 2008. Members of the Senate are called to vote 397 times which almost twice as often as in 2008. The average member of the House has participated in 96 percent of roll calls. INSET: Participation in Floor Votes Rises Again.

The article discusses the success of U.S. President Barack Obama in taking Congressional votes on several issues in the U.S. Typically, U.S. presidents are victorious in convincing the Congress to take on the president's stand, the situation, however, falter later on. Even though it is too early to tell, survey results predicted that President Obama will break the trend.

The article focuses on the Senate roll call votes concerning the performance of U.S. President Barack Obama in his first three months in the White House, as well as his pursuance of legislative agenda. It states that Obama only garnered 11% of the 149 Senate roll call vote, and 4% of the 170 votes in the House. It mentions that Obama tallied a 96% success rate followed by Ronald Reagan with 91% while George Bush posts 76%.

The article provides information on the Congressional Quarterly (CQ) vote study guide conducted since 1945 to analyze the voting behavior of members of the U.S. Congress. CQ had produced principal vote studies since 1953 including presidential support, party unity and voting participation. CQ studies are carried out through votes selection, individual scores and overall scores.

Presents two poems by Rachel Squires Bloom. "Rochester Speaks." First Line: Dear, I forgot to mention one tiny detail, Last Line: when no one else will call me a man, or even human. "War." First Line: Eggs were my father's specialty, Last Line: those misguided townsmen in Tag or Red Rover.

Presents the poem "Wild Civility," by Rachel Squires Bloom. First Line: Winter leaked into June; on summer's; Last Line: and those spraying man-made rain.

The article presents the poem "Canoe Trip," by Rachel Squires Bloom. First Line: Water buzzes in conspiratorial static, Last Line: the most dangerous animals.

Presents the poem "Love Talk," by Rachel Squires Bloom.

The article presents the poem "The Plot," by Rachel Squires Bloom. First Line: My father is almost manic, Last Line: but I didn't.

The article presents the poem "The Correct Woman," by Rachel Squires Bloom. First Line: Her eyes mad smile are polite, Last Line: on the same afternoon.

The article presents the poem "Man Diet," by Rachel Squires Bloom. First Line: I'm on a diet- now don't run off Last Line: for the next feast.